Spoke-securing device.



. L. P. EPTON.

SPOKE SECURING DEVICEx APPLICATION FILED $2 1213, 1912.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

6] Rowen:

LELAND P. EPTON, OF SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA.

SPOKE-SECURING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

Application filed September 13, 1912. Serial No. 720,259.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, LELAND P. Er'rox. acitizen of the United States, residing at Spartanburg, in the county ofSpartanburg and State of South Carolina, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Spoke-Securing Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for firmly securingspokes to the felly of a wheel.

The invention embodies, among other features, a device that can bequickly and readily attached to the felly and which includes a socketadapted to receive a thimble provided with a head, the said thimblebeing mounted on the free end of the spoke for rigidly securing the samein position between the folly and the hub of the wheel, the mentionedconstruction being provided to greatly strengthen the spoke and theconnection of the spoke with the felly of the wheel.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification, inwhich'siinilar characters of reference denote corresponding partsin allthe views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a wheel showing spokesattached thereto with my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional Viewtaken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective of thethimble;and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the washer.

Referring more particularly to the views, I disclose a wheel ll)embodying a hub 11 and a felly 12, provided with the usual rim or tire13, a spoke 14 being secured tothe hub 11 in the usual manner andprojecting diametrically therefrom for attachment to the telly 12.

A thimble 15, preferably made of metal, is mounted on the free end ofthe spoke 14: and is provided Withan integral reduced head 16, the said.head being preferably square in cross section to extend through anopening 17, provided in a cuff 18 consisting of a head 19 terminating inbent cars 20, arranged to partially.cncircle the felly 12 and conform tothe curvature thereof, a bolt 21 being passed transversely through thecars 20 of the end 18 and through the folly 12 to rigidly secure thecufi thereto.

The cufl" 18 is preferably made of metal and in order to take up anyslack or space between the thimble 15 and cuff 18 when the thimble andcurt are connected as shown, a washer 22 is provided, the said washerbeing interposed between the thimble 15 and cuff 18, and encircling thehead 16 of the thimble, a square opening 23 being provided in the washer22 and through which the head 16 of the thimble 15 is adapted to pass.The washer 22 is also provided with a wedge like slot 24 provided forthe purpose of per n'iitlting the washer to be interposed between thethimble 15 and the cuff 18, by sliding the washer 22 into position sothat the head 16 will pass through the slot 2% and will then be receivedin the square opening 23. A wedge 25, having a shape similar to the slot24:, is now dropped into the slot 24, thus locking the thimble 15 in theopening 23, the mentioned wedge 25 being of the same thickness as thewasher 22 so that when the wedge is in position on the washer, thewasher will appear as one, piece of material.

It will be readily seen that in applying the device described to thefolly l2 and spoke 14, the washer 22 can be dispensed with, thementioned washer being preferably metal in order to compensate for anyshrinkage in the wheel 10 and it will be further seen that slightchanges can be made in the particular construction and curvature of theend 18 without departing from the spirit of the of the Wheel andconsisting of a head provided with a squared opening and terminating inears partially encircling the folly of the wheel, a bolt passing throughthe said ears and the said felly to secure the end to the .felly, thehead. of the said thimble be ing arranged. to extend through the openingin the head of the said end, and a washer for interposition between thesaid thimble and the said out? and encircling the head of the saidthimble.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a thimblemounted on a s oke of a wheel, a s uared head on the said t imble, acuff rigidiy secured to the telly of the wheel and consisting of a headprovided with a squared opening and terminating in ears partiallyencircling the felly of the wheel, a bolt passing through the said earsand the said felly to secure the cufi to the telly, being arranged toextend through the opening in the head of the said cufl, a washer forinterposition between the said thimble and the said cuff and partiallyencircling the head of the said thimble,andawedge for insertion in awedge like slot in the said Washer for locking the said washer the saidcufi and the said thimb-le.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a t-hiinblemounted on a the head of the said thimbl'e' between washer v interposedbetween the said 0111i and the said thimble and encircling the headthereof. I a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LELAND P. EPION. Witnesses:

A. J. BLACK, B. H. BROWN.

